In its tenth year of existence, the High School Basketball Nationals tournament (formerly DICK’S Nationals) will have a new name starting in 2018. Paragon Marketing Group is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement with GEICO to become the new title sponsor and continue the tournament’s rich tradition. The partnership now provides GEICO entitlement of all three postseason High School events, that air on ESPN networks, including the GEICO High School Basketball Nationals, GEICO High School Lacrosse Nationals, and the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series. GEICO is the second-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States.
The tournament begins Thursday, March 29 with the boys quarterfinal games (ESPNU), continues Friday, Mar. 30 with the boys (ESPN2) and girls (ESPNU) semifinals, and concludes Saturday, March 31 with the boys (ESPN) and girls (ESPN2) championships from Christ the King High School in New York City.
As in previous years, the boys tournament will feature eight of the top-ranked teams in the nation, while the girls field will feature four teams. For the second straight year, all twelve (12) teams in the 2017 field were nationally ranked in the USA TODAY Super 25 Expert Rankings, including the No. 1 ranked team in the country, boys 2017 champion La Lumiere (IN). 2017 Boys field: No. 1 La Lumiere (IN), No. 3 Findlay Prep (NV), No. 7 Montverde Academy (FL), No. 8 Oak Hill Academy (VA), No. 9 Shadow Mountain (AZ), No. 10 Greensboro Day (NC), No. 11 IMG Academy (FL), No. 17 Wasatch Academy (UT); 2017 Girls field: No. 6 Miami Country Day (FL), No. 13 Seton Catholic (AZ), No. 15 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (TN), No. 17 St. Frances Academy (MD).
The 2018 boys and girls fields will be announced in March, following the completion of this year’s high school basketball season.
Event History:
The National High School Invitational (NHSI) launched in 2009 at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, MD. The event was created by Paragon Marketing Group to provide a season-ending platform for top, nationally-ranked high school basketball teams to compete against one another in a season-ending tournament. In 2014 the event moved to New York City and was named the DICK’S Sporting Goods High School Nationals. In 2018 the event became the GEICO High School Basketball Nationals.
Past Champions (boys team followed by girls team):
- 2009 – Findlay Prep, NV & Seton Keough, MD
- 2010 – Findlay Prep, NV & Peddie School, NJ
- 2011 – Montrose Christian, MD & Dr. Phillips, FL
- 2012 – Findlay Prep, NV & Riverdale Baptist, MD
- 2013 – Montverde, FL & Dr. Phillips, FL
- 2014 – Montverde, FL & Riverdale Baptist, MD
- 2015 – Montverde, FL & Miami Country Day, FL
- 2016 – Oak Hill Academy, VA & Ribault, FL
- 2017 – La Lumiere, IN & Miami Country Day, FL